This month is National Facial Protection Month! It's time to
join together with athletes, parents and coaches to raise awareness about the
importance of protecting against dental and facial injuries.

Here are five tips to help prevent facial injuries:

Mouth Guard – One
important piece of equipment everyone seems to forget about is a mouth
guard. A mouth guard offers great
protection for your teeth. For kids who are involved in sports – especially
contact sports – a mouth guard is a must-have to prevent and minimize injuries.

Helmet – Helmets
help prevent damage to a person’s head. Make sure the helmet fits you properly.
It should gently touch the head but not be too tight.

Protected Goggles –
Eyes are particularly at risk to get damaged when playing sports. Goggles can
help protect the eyes when involved in any contact activities.

Face Guard – Wear
a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin. Basketballs, soccer balls,
hockey pucks, and lacrosse balls can cause damage to anyone’s face. Always protect
your face when you are playing in any of these sports.

Wear protective gear
for all sports – Every sport has mandatory protected gear everyone should
wear. Athletes who play football, lacrosse, boxing and hockey must wear
mouthpieces. These sports have high contact involvement and can cause facial
injuries.

Pediatric Dentistry of Suffolk County recommends a properly
fitted custom-made mouth guard to reduce the risk of sports related dental
injuries. Call us at our Commack location or our Medford location to make an
appointment so we can properly fit you for one!